Guidelines for Calculation and Provision of Open Space in ...

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determined by the calculation specified below and to be updated annually per town in theGuidelines for Calculation and Provision of Open Space in Developments of Regional Impact,Technical Bulletin 94-001, as amended. The Commission shall give priority to towns whendetermining the recipient of off-site open space donations or cash contributions. Off-site openspace shall be provided in the town where development is proposed, unless the Commissionfinds, in consultation with the relevant towns, that the provision of off-site open space in anadjacent community on Cape Cod is appropriate.Calculation of Cash Mitigation Open Space OptionOn an annual basis, Commission staff shall calculate the per acre cash equivalent for open spacefor each town based on the following formula: Select all residentially zoned developable parcelsin excess of two acres from town assessor’s data. Determine per acre value for each of theseproperties, sort by value, remove top and bottom 10 percent of properties. The average of theremaining properties is the per acre open space value for that town for current assessor’s data.The per-acre open space value may be adjusted by a reasonable inflation factor for years wherecurrent assessor’s data is not available.Credit for Stormwater Low Impact DevelopmentIn public water supply Wellhead Protection Areas, stormwater management structures may becounted toward meeting the open space requirement where Low Impact Development (LID) BestManagement Practices are used for stormwater infiltration (for example, vegetated swales, raingardens and bio-retention areas).Restrictions on Open Space CreditNo credit may be obtained for land that is set aside as open space on a residential lot on which adwelling exists or may be built, unless the lot is at least three acres in size. No credit may beobtained for areas that have been dedicated as open space prior to the date of a DRI application.Redevelopment within Growth Incentive Zones/Economic CentersAs an incentive for infill and redevelopment in appropriate locations, redevelopment withinGrowth Incentive Zones/Economic Centers is not required to provide open space. For thepurposes of this exception only, redevelopment shall include projects expanding into greenfields,not to exceed 50 percent of the pre-existing development area on the site. Requirements for theprotection of rare species, wetlands and vernal pool buffers shall continue to be met, if relevant.For towns without designated Economic Centers, this provision shall not apply.Protection of FarmlandIn the design of developments, and in the consideration of on-site or off-site open space,agricultural soils and agricultural uses shall be protected. In suitable locations and where conflictswith sensitive habitats and/or state law do not arise, conservation restrictions may reserve theright to farm.OS1.4Sensitive Natural ResourcesIn the design of developments, significant natural and fragile areas including critical wildlife andplant habitat, significant natural communities, water resources such as ponds and lakes, rivers,aquifers, shore lands, and wetlands; 100-foot buffers to wetlands; historic, cultural, andarchaeological areas; significant scenic roads and views; and significant landforms shall beprotected. Development should be located outside of 300-foot buffers to ponds and lakes and200-foot buffers to rivers to the greatest extent feasible, and consistent with state law.Open Space Technical Bulletin, 94-001, as Amended 5/14/09 16
OS1.5Residential ClusterAll residential subdivisions of five or more lots and all commercial subdivisions of land shallcluster the proposed development unless inconsistent with local bylaws. Cluster plans shall usesite designs that maximize contiguous open space, respect the natural topography and character ofthe site, and employ wastewater treatment alternatives to allow more compact development.OS1.6Sensitive Open Space ResourcesWhere development is proposed adjacent to land held for conservation and preservation purposes,or adjacent to rural landscapes or lands in active agricultural production, the development shall beconfigured so as to prevent adverse impacts to these lands and in a manner that maximizescontiguous open space. Additional vegetated buffers may be required where necessary to screenor separate uses.OS1.7Open Space in GIZ/Economic CentersNotwithstanding Significant Natural Resource Area designation, where development is proposedin Growth Incentive Zones/Economic Centers, the open space requirement shall be reduced to theproportion required for Growth Incentive Zones/Economic Centers where a natural resourcesinventory demonstrates that there are no wetlands, surface water bodies, vernal pools, estimatedrare species habitat, agricultural soils, priority natural communities, critical upland areas, publicwater supply Wellhead Protection Areas, or other unique or fragile habitat within 100 feet of thesite boundary.OS1.8Open Space Requirements and Parking GaragesAs an incentive toward minimizing impervious areas, protecting open space, and maintaining orimproving community character, projects meeting parking requirements under proposed buildingsor as a multi-storied parking garage may reduce their open space requirement by an amountequivalent to the square footage of garaged parking. Open space credit as provided by this MPSmay not be obtained for parking spaces provided in excess of the minimum number of spacesrequired by local zoning.Best Development PracticesOS1.9Location of Open SpaceWherever possible, off-site open space provided through MPS OS1.3 is encouraged within orcontiguous to Cape Cod Significant Natural Resource Areas or in the areas identified in MPSOS1.4.OS1.10Open Space CreditsAs an incentive for the increased protection of sensitive or significant natural resources, and at thediscretion of the Commission, the open space requirement may be reduced by 20 percent where(1) high quality, naturally vegetated open space is provided in a Significant Natural ResourceArea contiguous to existing permanently protected open space and is made permanentlyaccessible for use by the public, or (2) all development provides a 350-foot undisturbed bufferfrom the mean annual high water line of pond or lake, or (3) all development provides a 200-footundisturbed buffer from the mean annual high water line of a river, as determined by the localConservation Commission consistent with the Rivers Protection Act (310 CMR 10.58), or (4) alldevelopment provides a 500-foot undisturbed buffer from a vernal pool, or (5) the protected openspace provides significant vistas of the natural Cape Cod landscape. A developed shoreline refersto structures, roads, driveways, parking areas, cultivated lawns, and other uses within 300 feet ofthe mean annual high water line that cause the relative long-term alteration of the shoreline. Nomore than 20 percent of the open space requirement may be reduced for any one project.Open Space Technical Bulletin, 94-001, as Amended 5/14/09 17
Page 3 and 4: the site. Additional site evaluatio
Page 5 and 6: development at the front of the lot
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